A British man was killed in the Kenyan shopping centre horror as he tried to save children who were taking part in a televised cooking competition.

Mitul Shah, 38, from London,who leaves a wife and two-year-old daughter, has been hailed a hero for offering himself as a hostage to allow children to escape from the rooftop of the Westgate centre in Nairobi, where the show, sponsored by his company, was being filmed.

In a separate development, security sources said the Islamist attackers from Somalia's al-Shabaab group hired a shop before the siege that began on Saturday, enabling them to gain access to service lifts to stockpile weapons and ammunition.

Having the weapons in position enabled them to constantly re-arm and hold back the security forces over four days leaving 67 people dead and 61 others missing.

Meanwhile, colleagues at Mr Shah's company have described him as a "hero and a star" as his funeral was held in Nairobi yesterday.

A Bidco spokesman said: "He was among the first casualties of the Westgate siege, losing his life in the first bout of attack, presumably killed while trying to protect some children who were assembled to participate or witness a cooking challenge."

The firm's Facebook page confirmed that Mr Shah had "succumbed trying to rescue the children".
Director Dipak Shah said: "We are anguished and shell-shocked. The tragic loss of our colleague has created a vacuum in our heart as much as it has in our organisation."

Reports say that in the run up to the four-day siege, two vehicles dropped the attackers off before they forced their way in and they are also believed to have set up base using a first-floor ventilation shaft to hide.

Source: http://www.believersboard.com/general-news/tributes-to-british-man-who-sacrificed-himself-in-kenya/

Kudos to him